The art has taught the condensation reaction of vinyl aromatic compounds with polyamines in which at least two equivalents of amine group are reacted for each equivalent of vinyl group. The catalyst employed is a strongly basic catalyst and the reaction is carried out in an inert nonpolar solvent.
This is taught in particular in U.S. Pat. No. 3,376,344 where vinyl aromatic compounds such as styrene, vinyltoluene, vinylbenzene, and vinylnaphthalene are condensed with alkylenediaminess such as ethylenediamine, triethylenetetramine and other polyalkylenepolyamines containing up to 10-carbon alkylene groups. The catalysts taught as useful are lithium, sodium, potassium, their amides, hydrides, alcoholates, and alkyls, e.g., sodium amide, and butyllithium. Benzene, toluene, tetrahydrofuran and ethylene glycol dimethylether are suggested as solvents. Reaction times up to about 3 hours at temperatures of -30.degree. to about 100.degree. C., preferably 10.degree. to 30.degree. C., are employed.
The products made in U.S. Pat. No. 3,376,344 using at least two, preferably five, equivalents of amine per equivalent of vinyl group are condensation products having the following formula: ##STR1## is hydrogen, C.sub.1 -C.sub.20 alkyl, vinyl, --NH.sub.2, --NH(C.sub.1 -C.sub.10 alkyl); R" is hydrogen or C.sub.1 -C.sub.10 alkyl, and R"' is C.sub.1 -C.sub.10 alkylene or polyoxyethylene and x is 1-20.
If in the above formula R' is vinyl, i.e., the aromatic vinyl compound is divinylbenzene, the reaction with a polyethylene polyamine, wherein at least two equivalents of amine per vinyl group are employed, a compound having the following structure is produced: ##STR2##
The present invention, instead of making a relatively simple condensation product, employs ratios of 1:1 or less primary amine group to vinyl group which produces an alternating copolymer.